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Blackwell Publishing Ltd Oxford, UK MUWO The MuslimWorld 0027-4909 2006 Hartford Seminary 96 2

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Pakistan: the State of Education The Muslim World



Pakistan: the State of
Education

Salim Mansur Khalid*

Government College
Township, Lahore, Pakistan

M. Fayyaz Khan*

Institute of Policy Studies
Islamabad, Pakistan

T

he quality of human resource plays a critical role in the rise and fall of
nations, and human resource can be channeled and developed in the
right direction with the help of proper education. A nations overall
position and its standing in the comity of nations are, to a large extent,
determined by the standards of its educational system. Since education is a
means for the development of personality and character, it is not merely about
gaining knowledge and mastering science and technology and control of
information; it is also concerned with the nations belief system, culture and
civilization, and values. Education represents, simultaneously, a nations past,
present, and future.
Comprehensive education ensures the development of the individuals
character and national values, as well as their continuity. With regard to the
objectives of education, rightly set priorities and a focus on long-term goals
instead of quick results directs personal development of individual and
collective growth to the desirable, required path. Gradual but lasting
development, evenhanded growth of both the individual and the society,
balanced and good international relations, universal human welfare, and
continuous progress toward self-reliance without adverse effects for the
environment are not possible without quality education.
Today, even developed countries are worried with respect to the situation
of education. In addition to their students poor performances in the subjects of
science and mathematics, they are facing a situation of ever-increasing rates of
crime, waywardness, and the widespread neglect of moral values among their
youth. This article attempts to shed light on vital aspects of Pakistans
educational scenario so as to enable readers to appreciate the enormity of the
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countrys challenges as seen against the historical background of the system of
education that is currently in place.

Historical Background

The spread of education always has been one of the hallmarks of Muslim
civilization in the sub-continent. Before them, Aryans, especially Hindus, had
a quite different view with respect to education. To maintain Brahmin
dominance and the religious sanctity of the class system, a large population
was deprived of the benets of education.

1

Muslims changed the class-based
Hindu system, with the result that overall social behavior, interaction,
relationships, and marriages, as well as education and training, were improved.
From the time of Muhammad bin Qasim (695715) to the Mogul Emperor
Humayun (15401556), educational institutions were completely free in their
internal affairs and administration. Teachers were free to teach their students,
employing whatever methods they deemed t and use whatever syllabus they
considered appropriate. Both the state and the public had so much trust in
these institutions that they used to donate large tracts of land as endowments
to them. Education was not restricted to the transfer of revealed and
acquired knowledge, but included among others things the ne arts, drawing,
the arts of defense and tactical warfare, architecture, calligraphy, sculpture,
medicine, pharmacy and surgery.

2

Sultan Sikandar Lodhi (14891517) contributed to the tradition of
education through two measures: rstly, by making the acquisition of
education compulsory to a certain level for government ofcials and armed
forces; secondly, by declaring Persian as the ofcial language. Both these steps
proved crucial. Hindus in government jobs started taking an interest in
learning the Persian language, and were admitted to Muslim institutions that
were not afliated with mosques. This also attracted scholars from around the
Muslim world to the sub-continent.

3

Afterwards, during the rule of Mogul
Emperor Akbar (15561605), education started moving away from its religious
base because of his exible policies and ultra-liberal measures. Madaris started
to be built outside or adjacent to mosques, and Persian became the medium
of instruction at the secondary and higher levels of education.

4

For the spread of education among Hindus, attempts by the Mogul rulers
to devise a common syllabus for both Hindus and Muslims, in addition to the
one in vogue in madaris, are worth noting. This resulted in destroying the
Brahmin monopoly on education and learning Sanskrit, since common Hindu
people started getting educated and learning the Sanskrit language that was
part of their syllabus.

5

Education was so widespread by the time of Mogul
Emperor Aurangzeb (16581707) that even small towns and villages were
producing scholars and learned people in all elds.

6
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A high-ranking British ofcial, General Sir William Sleeman (17881856),
writes in his memoirs about Muslims position in education in the early 19

th


century (when Muslims had lost even the weak government in the Center):

Perhaps there are few communities in the world among whom
education is more generally diffused than among Muhammadans in
India. He who holds an ofce worth twenty rupees a month commonly
gives his sons an education equal to that of a prime minister. They learn,
through the medium of Arabic and Persian languages, what young men
in our colleges [British] learn through those of the Greek and Latin
that is, grammar, rhetoric, and logic. After his seven years of study, the
young Muhammadan binds his turban upon a head almost as well lled
with things which appertain to these branches of knowledge as the
young man from Oxford he will talk as uently about Socrates and
Aristotle, Plato and Hippocrates, Galen and Avicenna and . . . he has
learnt what are those which he most requires through life. He therefore
thinks himself as well tted to ll the big ofces which are now lled
exclusively by Europeans.

7

With the decline of the Mogul Empire, European nations started removing the
guise of trade expeditions and assumed the role of traditional imperial powers.
When the East India Company was granted civil powers in 1765, it decided to
employ the instrument of education to consolidate its rule. To achieve this end,
it focused attention on opening schools run by Christian missionaries. Though
Muslims were hesitant about their children being educated in schools run by
Christian missionaries, Hindus were happily admitted to these institutions.

8

Many Western-inuenced intellectuals hold that the spread of education in
the sub-continent owes a debt to the British Crown. The fact is, however, that
education during the British rule became conned to a certain class. During
colonial rule, it was the acquaintance with the English language that was
synonymous with knowledge; the lack of it was considered ignorance. British
rulers did everything to strangulate the existing system of education; Lord
Macaulays advice of 1835 in regards to the Indian Education later found in
his Minutes played the central role in their strategy:

We must at present do our best to form a class who may be interpreters
between us and the millions whom we govern; a class of persons,
Indian in blood and color, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals,
and in intellect.

9

He ridiculed Oriental learnings

10

and introduced a concept that replaced
knowledge and understanding with English language and literature. Before
1835, the British colonial system did provide support to Oriental learnings in
one form or another, but afterwards the sciences and languages of the East
were ignored. English was chosen as the ofcial language as well as the
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medium of instruction. The British Empires policies and actions proved to be
so devastating for the sub-continent that despite a 100-year lapse, around 90
percent of the population remained deprived of education.
After the 1857 revolt, the British Crown encouraged a class-based
education policy that divided people into high and low categories. As a
result a localized ruling class subjugated the rest of the population.

11

Realizing
the need of the time, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (d. 1898) established the Anglo-
Mohammadan Oriental College. Though his religious views were never accepted
by the Muslim masses, his approach in the eld of education had great appeal.
Launching his campaign, he said philosophy would be in our right hand, natural
science in our left, and

kalimah

(the declaration of faith) would be on our head
as a crown. It turned out that reaching all three objectives was a little too
ambitious, since his entire educational endeavor had to bear the brunt of an
educational policy that was primarily designed by the English imperialists.
However, he did succeed in bringing Muslims back to the pursuit of education.
They started equipping themselves with the newly introduced education, and
then represented the Muslim population in national movements. Only a small
number of those who received the modern education exhibited national
fervor; the majority was consumed by the culture of government employment.

The Challenges

In 1947, with the emergence of the state of Pakistan, education faced two
major challenges. The rst was ideological. Multiethnic groups that supported
the idea of Pakistan and made tremendous sacrices for it were keen to reap
the fruits of their endeavors. The second was demographic. The exodus of
Hindus, soon after the creation of Pakistan, left a huge void in the elds of
economy, commerce and education. Many schools and colleges were shut
down; others, along with libraries and laboratories, were burnt, while
remaining classrooms, hostels and grounds were converted into refugee
camps.

12

Pakistans educational system, thus, had to start from ruins.
It is important to note that while Pakistans population was 34 million in
1951 in 2005 the number rose to about 154 million. This makes Pakistan the
worlds sixth most populous country. Because of the population growth and
the rise in the number of children of school-going age, even the great increase
in the number of educational institutions is still not adequate. Consequently,
Pakistans education sector appears to be in dire straits. Despite some serious
efforts toward improving the situation, Pakistan still has many illiterates and
out-of-school children. Since 1947 the number of primary and high schools has
increased 18 and 39 times respectively, but because of the signicant population
growth and poor governance, over 10 million children are still not enrolled in
school. Literacy trends show that about two thirds of the countrys population
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are unable to read, write or comprehend a simple letter comprised of 23
paragraphs. Drop out rates are alarming. Less than 50% of enrolled students
complete their primary level education. The average teacher-student ratio is 3
to 1,000. The educational budget has never been more than 1.6% of GDP. In
recent days, the government has started showing some signs of signicantly
increasing the budget.
Pakistans Constituent Assembly passed the Objectives Resolution in March
1949 that declared Islamic ideology as the bedrock of the countrys
constitution.

13

Among the objectives was that the educational system shall be
instrumental in shaping a value-based society, protecting and promoting its
Islamic heritage, and transferring the ethical values to new generations.

14

This
is why almost all educational documents in Pakistan appear concerned and
zealous about the Islamic moral training of the youth,

15

while certain
constitutional provisions provide mandates to this national aspiration. Zia-ul-
Haqs regime (197788) demonstrated some degree of commitment to this
good, but generally he failed to translate his words into action. Since that time
very little room has been given to ideology in government policy documents,
and little signicant progress has been made toward the realization of
educational goals. In the aftermath of 9/11, it appears that the current military
regime nds it more tenable to close this chapter once for all.

16

Efforts for Reform of the Educational System

The country has had eight educational policies during its 58 years of
existence. In addition, a number of commissions and committees have been
set up by different governments attempting to make various changes in
Pakistans educational scenario.

17

A careful review of all the steps taken for education in Pakistan reveals that
almost all regimes started the task of reforming the system anew. The education
commissions worked meticulously and presented their comprehensive reports,
but the ground realities remained relatively unchanged both quantitatively and
qualitatively owing to bad governance, red tape, apathy, corruption, short-
lived governments, conicting policies, confusion and lack of direction.
In the absence of proper representation of teachers from universities,
colleges or schools in these commissions, donor agencies pressed for their own
priorities while bureaucrats and foreign consultants tried to impose their views
with the help of government authority. This explains why policies kept
frequently changing, to the detriment of the nation. Little attention was given
to determining the direction and identication of objectives. All the efforts seem
to have been awed by impracticality and incongruity with the ground realities.
These commissions mainly emphasized two aspects of the educational
system: that it is in dire need of transformation, and that the examination
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system requires drastic change. The proposed changes failed miserably because
they were proposed too hastily, without sufcient research being done, and
because they were incompatible. Most were the products of wishful thinking.
The commissions ignored realities such as a suitable teaching and learning
environment, and the need for adequate research and development. The

ad
hoc

approaches badly taxed the nation through the loss of already scarce
resources and precious time.
The challenge of continuously increasing the defense budget (because of
tense relations with India, the Kashmir issue, three wars, and East Pakistans
transformation into Bangladesh) overwhelmed the education sector. Lack of
political will and foresight resulted in worsening the situation further. The civil
and military bureaucracy (which has had a real say in policy making)
demonstrated a mindset that was detrimental to national aspirations in the
sphere of education. These two classes have always been wary of faculty,
students and campuses. Their strained relations left little room for cooperation,
understanding and realistic planning.
The political leadership, by and large, could not rise to the occasion and
did little to rescue the victim: education. The Muslim League, which mostly
remained empowered, although with different names, shades and faces, failed
to align education with Pakistans ideology. The religious parties performance
with regard to education and its development can best be described as
dismal.

18

Nationalist and ethnic organizations failed to play any signicant role
in policy matters related to education, its administration or content.

19

Many want to blame landlordism for the failure of the education sector.
It is true that widespread education does not serve the vested interests of
landlords, since it has the potential to liberate the subjects from their long-
standing exploitation. While it is true that not all landlords are anti-education
or overly cruel, they remain a class that stands in the way of the education and
socio-economic development of the poor masses.

The Stumbling Blocks

The number of commissions and committees, numerous reports and
various short, medium and long-term plans appear to be instrumental mainly
in promoting short-sightedness, confusion, mismanagement and anarchy.
Pakistans education system, therefore, remains unable to address the
problems that have derailed the realization of its goals and objectives relative
to education. Rhetoric, lip service and hefty political statements about the
importance of education neither dealt with the stumbling blocks nor paved the
way for a smooth transition from disarray to stability. It would be useful to
examine the problem areas in the educated sector, which, in our view, have
the potential to threaten the national unity and solidarity.

20
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1) Diversity or Disarray?

In 1972, almost all private educational institutions,
except those who used to charge rupees 25 or more as tuition fee, were
nationalized in one effort. They have been handed back over to the private
sector in recent years, without assigning a rationale to any of the steps. This
has made Pakistans education system a colossal mumble jumble of concepts
and approaches and is a cause of creating a class-based society. There are
different kinds of institutions from primary to college level. These can be
divided into six major groups: government-run institutions, Christian-
missionary institutions, institutions run by the community members or local
organizations, English-medium private schools, community schools and
colleges, and religious educational institutions.

21

Each of these groups can be further divided into many sub-groups. For
example, the rst group consists of: Urdu-medium regular primary and high
schools, Urdu-medium model primary and high schools, English-medium
public schools, special residential institutions for elite, Cadet Colleges, Sindhi-
medium schools. This one group is comprised of six sub-groups. Similarly, the
Christian-missionary group too consists of many types of institutions. The third
group represents chains of private institutions such as the Beacon House
Schools, City Schools, Bloomeld Hall Schools, etc. They are mainly geared
toward catering to the needs of O and A level students. The fourth group is
comprised of ordinary English-medium schools that are recognized for various
reasons; some are after the coined names of Saints, for the want of real
names of Saints. Some have combined Muslim and Western names to attract
all types of clientele. The fth group represents institutions of minority
communities such as Aga Khanis, Qadiyanis, Bohras and Bahais, etc. Because
of the governments lack of commitment toward discharging its responsibility
to create an enabling environment for equal educational opportunities, it is
likely that this diversity generated by commercialism will turn into disarray
with the passage of time.
This concern is not restricted to primary, secondary or higher secondary
levels higher education too presents the same situation. The introduction of
the 1995 self-nance scheme has adversely affected institutions of higher
education and beset them with a number of multifaceted problems. A new
buyer mentality appears detrimental to culture, the sense of association, and
the spirit of research and investigation.
It is beyond doubt that the role of the private sector is crucial for
education. The government sector, which is infested with incompetence and
corruption, may be forced to shake off its lethargy when exposed to competition
with the private sector. But the national fervor of private educational
institutions in 1972, i.e., before their nationalization, is nowhere to be found
among the institutions mushrooming since 1982. This does not mean that
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private institutions are to be uprooted, but that they must retrace their steps
toward the right path through proper regulation mechanisms, national
solidarity and better administration of government-run schools.

2) Medium of Instruction:

The issue of the medium of instruction is another
divisive cause of concern for education and society at large in Pakistan, since
it contributes toward inconsistent policies and de-prioritization. The debate on
the question of the medium of instruction had in fact started during the very
rst year of Pakistans existence. Pakistans founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah
wanted Urdu to be the national language of the country, but the Bengali
nationalists of the then East Pakistan province (now Bangladesh) demanded
that Bangla too should be the national language along with Urdu. In this
inghting on the issue of national language, it was English that secured the
place that it has enjoyed ever since. English was declared as the ofcial
language. In spite of repeated pledges in the Constitution of Pakistan to make
Urdu the ofcial language, English has not only been the ofcial language but
the virtual medium of instruction as well.

22

A review of student performance at secondary, higher secondary and
graduate levels during the past 25 years (19812005) reveals striking data.
Those who got through other subjects but failed in English were 54 percent at
secondary, 60 percent at higher secondary and 70 percent at graduate levels.
They either lost heart to further their education,

23

or could not attain a good
command of English even if they did manage to pass. The question that arises
here is: What is the proper way of teaching English, bearing in mind its
international recognition and the fact that it is the language of science and
technology?
Those who call for adopting Urdu as the national language are not
oblivious to the importance of English. Proper education in English is, in fact,
necessary for national development. Yet, making it compulsory for the
common person to learn English and arranging for its effective teaching at
higher levels, for the study of science and technology, and for communication
with the outside world are two different things.

24

Adopting the mother tongue of a society as the medium of instruction
increases the prospects of both literacy and the quality of education. The rst
language enables the students to comprehend what they are taught. The issue
of the medium of instruction may appear trivial to some, but the absence of
proper attention to it has inicted great harm to most Pakistani students in
terms of suppressing their abilities in creative and critical thinking. This has
had negative effects on social, cultural, civilizational, and even economic
fronts. In this regard, the ndings of the UNESCO report are worth mentioning:
If a foreign language belongs to a culture that resembles its own (for example,
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French language for an English child), then the only problem is to develop
an understanding of the language. But if a foreign language belongs to an
entirely different culture (for example, English language for a Nigerian
child), then the difculty of learning that language increases considerably and
quite possibly the child may not be able to properly and sensibly express him
or herself.

25

This latter situation can be seen in the width and breadth of
Pakistan!
The Education Policy of 1969 declared English to be the ofcial language;
it had nevertheless called for introducing Urdu in universities and colleges. The
Education Policy of 1979 also said that the permanent existence of English-
medium schools as a legacy of the colonial era negates the notion of a single
and united nations own system of education. It has, therefore, been decided
that English-medium schools in the country must necessarily adopt Urdu or a
provincial language as the medium of instruction. From April 1979, all students
of the rst grade in English-medium schools would be educated either in Urdu
or in a provincial language. But on November 27, 1984, the Zia regime
announced that those schools that prepare students for foreign countries could
adopt English as the medium of instruction.

26

This decision, along with an
unruly private sector, tangled the entire educational setup and intensied the
medium of instruction issue by highlighting the duality.

3) Problems Facing Higher Education, Science and Research:

The
university is a vital institution in society that plays an important role in
development as well as in preserving and promoting social norms and national
interests. In addition to contributing to the enhancement of civilization, the
university is expected to set teaching and learning standards of excellence. It
is the university that creates the taste and longing for research and expands
ones faculties of critical thinking. The university can produce and deliver the
desired goods only if it is afforded the resources, and employs practicable
planning and long-term policies. There has been a substantial increase in
numbers but Pakistan has been constantly faced with political instability, a
fragile economy and heavy reliance on Western powers that has left little room
for its universities to live up to national expectations.
There were only two engineering colleges (in Karachi and Lahore) at the
time of Pakistans creation, now there are nine public and two private
engineering universities in addition to two colleges that are either part of the
university or afliated with it. According to the gures of 2004, there are 27,215
students in engineering universities accounting for 15% of all students.
Similarly, there was only one agriculture college in 1947; now there are four
universities and ve colleges. In 2004, there were 15,671 students in agriculture
universities making up 9% of the total number of students.
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Despite this quantitative improvement, on the down side, the condition of
laboratories and libraries in professional colleges and universities is distressing
and most of higher learning institutions
27
have lagged behind in contributing
to civilizational growth and the promotion of research and investigation.
Taking all these factors into consideration, some scattered progress was surely
made through the dedication of some individuals and the commitment of the
administration of some institutions. As such, there are a few institutions worth
mentioning when it comes to higher education, high-tech learning, research
and scientic probing: Pakistan Council of Scientic and Industrial Research
(PCSIR); Pakistan Medical Research Council (PMRC); Pakistan Institute of
Development Economic (PIDE); Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and
Technology (PINSTECH); Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF); and the Pakistan
Agriculture Research Council (PARC).
Barring these successes, the fact is that there is no credible structure or
consistency in Pakistan in the eld of science and technology. The promotion
of science should produce scientists, but what in Pakistan is commonly called
scientic education produces only doctors, engineers and technicians.
Students enrolled in colleges to study science are distributed in two distinctive
branches: pre-engineering and pre-medical, though science is not conned
merely to medicine or engineering.
28
One formidable challenge is devising a system of teaching science. In
order to raise the standard of science education, it is imperative to attract
intelligent students to this discipline. Currently, mostly average students opt for
pure sciences while the best performers go for medicine, engineering, and
management sciences. Timely motivation and incentives are a must for
attracting competent and talented students to science.
29
Similarly, lucrative
packages and fringe benets would be instrumental in motivating scientists
and researchers already in the eld. The lack of funds for higher education is
frequently cited as a valid excuse for the negligible progress but authorities
should heed former Harvard University President Derek Boks advice: if
education is a costly affair, try ignorance!
30
Lately, another issue has popped up: many Western nations are particularly
skeptical of Muslim countries that pursue excellence in science and scientic
research. This negative approach may cause sanctions on budgets of scientic
research institutions, or restrictions imposed on them. With declining prospects
of appointments, there has been a massive brain drain from these countries.
4) Womens Education: Women account for roughly half the worlds
population, perform two-thirds of the hours worked, receive one-tenth of the
worlds income, and have less than one hundredth of the worlds property
registered in their names.
31
Female deprivation is particularly acute in
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developing countries, including Pakistan, because of the high levels of
poverty. The education of women in Pakistan remains a highly perplexing
issue with deep roots in many socio-political, economic and cultural problems.
In accordance with the teachings of Islam, seeking knowledge is obligatory for
men and women alike. Womens education, nonetheless, is a crucial concern
in Pakistan today. While the economic benets of educating girls are similar in
size to those of educating boys, recent ndings suggest that the social benets
from investing in female education are far greater than those from investing in
male education in Pakistan. Motherhood inuenced by proper education and
training can cause wonders in childrens upbringing. Unfortunately, Pakistan is
suffering from the dearth of quality educational opportunities, especially for
our future mothers. A vast majority of parents avoid enrolling their girls in the
existing system of education, which to them seems directionless and inherently
incapable of equipping students with the skills and vision necessary to fulll
worldly and religious needs.
It is sometimes argued that educated womens greater labor participation
takes them away from their children for longer periods of time. In fact, the
education of women improves child health because of educated mothers
greater knowledge of the importance of hygiene and simple remedies. Some
studies nd that the mothers education has a greater impact on the
educational attainment and school achievement of her children than does the
fathers education. This is plausible given the greater interaction between
mother and children in most families since fathers are usually the main earners
in the household. In this way, the education of females contributes more
signicantly (than does the education of males) by increasing human capital,
productivity, and economic growth not only in their own generation but also
in the next generation.
There are many reasons why womens education seriously lags behind
mens education in Pakistan. The most commonly cited is that many parents
continue to envisage a strict gender division of labor. If for most of her adult
life a daughter will be a housewife it seems pointless to them to educate her.
The argument carries weight but represents only one dimension. There are
serious problems of infrastructure and the lack of facilities for female
education in the country.
5) Student Politics and Education: The ramications of student politics
cannot be ignored when considering education in Pakistan. Notwithstanding
the fact that the student unions play an important role in developing social,
managerial and organizational skills of the students, it would be erroneous to
say that the apathy on the part of the political and administrative elite as well
as students overly politicized activism have not compromised institutional
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discipline, academic progress, the learning environment and student-teacher
interpersonal communication and relationship. The political and administrative
elite consists of bureaucrats, military personnel, and political gures, while
student politics is infested with immature and overly ambitious student leaders
with no or little interest in education. The inexperienced, emotionally charged
and adventurous students wandering in search of shortcuts become an easy
prey for student organizations driven by mainstream political parties and
ethnocentric groups. All student organizations should not be bracketed
together for their role and impact on Pakistans educational scenario, but most
of them remain as part of the problem instead of the solution.
32
Like other Third World countries, the issue of student politics has been
controversial. General Zia-ul-Haq banned not just the organizations but all the
student unions in February 1984. After a petition by one of the student
organizations, Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, the Supreme Court of Pakistan restored
their organizational activities with the condition that they must avoid muddling
the educational environment and not violate their stated objectives.
33
Yet, the
unions were not revived, and consequently almost all educational institutions
have been deprived of healthy co-curricular activities.
The Challenge and the Strategy
After having discussed some of the major obstacles in the development of
Pakistani education, we highlight a 10-point problem-solution checklist to help
move the education system in the right direction. It is, however, important to
point out that the dismal state of education is generally attributed to the
scarcity of resources allocated in national budgets. Though this is a fact, it
reects only one dimension of the problem. The issues of bad governance,
political instability, corruption, mismanagement and an utter disregard for merit
have plagued education as it affects all other walks of life. Inconsistency and
frequent change of priorities have wasted a great part of whatever resources
were available. So, increase in the allocation of funds and consistency in policies
is a must for ensuring effective implementation of the proposed strategy.
1. Access to Education: The rst major challenge is to ensure that all citizens
have access to primary and middle level schools. This implies the provision of
educational facilities across the board to ensure that children in all parts of the
country have access to education. This would require an in-depth survey and
analysis at the grassroots level. At times, nothing is done at one place but
much is done at another. In such a situation, cumulative and average gures
and statistics do not present the true picture. Common citizens access to
education is possible only when government sectors devise strategies for the
purpose of mass education in close collaboration with the local people and
experts. Over dependence on foreign consultants amounts to negating the
objectives of education as well as the ground reality.
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2. Equal Opportunities: Pakistans system of education has in many respects
failed to provide equal opportunities. Besides being class based it has a
gender imbalance also. Boys and girls do not have equal opportunities for
education. Similarly, women teachers do not have adequate facilities and
prospects in case of appointment in distant areas. Monopoly by the elite and
nouveau riches of education and employment resources has badly frustrated
the common peoples expectations both at the social and economic levels.
The mushroom growth of elitist educational institutions, the disease of private
tuition, sale of admissions on a self-nance basis and the decline of
educational institutions in the public sector are the factors that are making the
situation even worse. Without true assessment of problems, it is not possible
to provide equal educational opportunities to all.
3. Relevance: Pakistans creation and its majoritys commitment to its own
civilization, values and norms demand that educational planning should take
into account peoples sentiments and aspirations. Even undesirable customs
need to be addressed with an approach of gradualism; an imprudent step
would make reform, no matter how small, a victim of reaction. Education
should also enable people to meet the challenges of practical life and
economic development; mere achievement of degrees and diplomas is no
achievement. If education does not meet the needs of crop-eld, factory,
market, ofce and other spheres of life, then it is nothing more than data or
information. If education gives rise to conict in social relations instead of
strengthening them, then it can in no way become a means for societys
development and growth. Pakistans system of education is playing its role
only to the extent of providing information, but it is necessary to correlate this
with societys real needs and social and economic goals.
4. The Required Teacher: Teachers clearly play a key role in the process of
learning and education. Teachers, students, the educational atmosphere, the
syllabi, and educational aids are the main components of the whole process,
but it is the former two without which it can neither start nor accomplish
anything. The student is dependent on the teacher for the acquisition of
knowledge. The existence or absence of an ideal educational atmosphere, a
good syllabus, and effective aids does affect the objectives and quality of
education, but only to an extent. These are neither absolutely necessary, nor
does their absence halt the process. But the availability of an able and
motivational teacher could end the students dependence on all other factors.
It would take well-educated, caring and compassionate teachers teachers
trained in their subjects as per the needs of students with respect to their
gender, age, psyche and level of comprehension to help Pakistans
educational sector emerge from the imbroglio it currently faces. At present,
very little real attention is being given to the needs and importance of
desirable teachers, as is the case in many other developing countries. Unless
this is addressed swiftly, the allocation of material resources and other
cosmetic changes will not work.
5. Dynamic Syllabi: Dynamism in the system of education comes from syllabi
that encourage innovative approaches, and create taste for research and
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inquiry. Besides the recent hasty and abrupt efforts initiated by a mix of
vested interests, Pakistans education system and its syllabi have a tradition of
remaining either static and frozen or changing very slowly. Now the problem
is that the private sector is adopting all kinds of syllabi from the open market,
while the public sectors syllabi lack integration and innovation. The
abundance of the various means of knowledge and information available has
made the task of syllabus designing (and its continuous updating) even more
necessary. The process of globalization and its attending requirements have
left no room for a static syllabus that is based on obsolete and impractical
notions. The situation in Pakistan demands taking comprehensive and
effective steps after thoroughly reviewing relevance, usefulness and
possibility to meet the global challenges and national needs of syllabi in use
at all levels in all institutions of the country.
6. Quality: At present, the educational system has many standards for the
assessment of quality. Some base their opinions on the marks obtained while
others give importance to skills, and some regard preparation of good human
beings as the sign of quality education. Then there are the problems of the
lack of transparency and corruption resulting in a number of bad practices.
The prevalent inconsistencies are reected by universities and educational
boards when they refuse even to admit their own students in higher grades
without reevaluating them. Good marks and high grades are generally not
accepted at face value. In practical life, the student is considered lacking in
the skills of the diploma he brandishes. This reects the awed and unreliable
examination system. Corruption, unfair means, copying, plagiarism, nepotism
and blatant inefciency mar the whole examination system. This demands
prudent and immediate action. A formidable challenge is to assess the
worth of the human being with respect to character, approach, and human
and moral values of the individual that this system prepares. If education
makes individuals civilized, polite, law-abiding, tolerant, just and honest, then
the system of education is something to cherish, or else its change is
inevitable.
7. Loss of Authority: Absence of the rule of law has rendered the national
administrative structure ineffective, weak and unreliable. Public servants
become its rulers, and consider people their hapless subjects. This virus has
not spared even the education sector. The head of an institution has
practically no authority over the teaching staff. The same is the case with the
administration, because it has no control over the head of the institution.
Similarly, provincial departments of education and home have no authority
over institutions administrations and federal ofcials have no authority over
provinces, nor do they have any authority to exercise because of the
international clout both on political and nancial levels. Even if a measure is
somehow taken, political interests, internal bickering in government circles,
and the meddling of inuential ofcials nullies any good that might have
accrued. Then education becomes an abject commercial market, one where
the real motive is money making. The result is little competence and
disappointment to the expectations of youth, their parents, and nations.
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An important task, therefore, is to keep civil and military bureaucracies
from interfering in educational administration matters. This is frustrating to all
concerned. Interference from the District Coordination Ofcer (DCO) has
increased so much that it has become difcult to decide routine matters. The
appointment of retired army generals instead of experienced educationalists
and scholars as university vice chancellors may improve the condition of
administration, but deteriorate the overall academic environment. The
governments image building efforts are leading the educational sector toward
a supercial modernity. The ill-devised campaign does not seem to produce
the desired results and instead spreads chaos, increases internal conict, and
results in the emergence of copycats in large numbers. It is the need of the
hour that policy-making institutions elicit cooperation and guidance from
experts for educational planning to expedite the process of problem solving
and meet the extant challenges by reevaluating objectives and setting long-
term priorities through a transparent administrative mechanism.
8. Environment: A good environment for learning and education remains
incomplete without an adequate building structure, facilities for co-curricular
activities, libraries and other educational aids. Most of Pakistans educational
institutions lack basic facilities: there is a pronounced lack, or even total
absence, of proper buildings, there is much noise in the surrounding areas,
pollution, and the unavailability of playgrounds, laboratories, and computers
for scientic experiments. Some institutions have big buildings and enjoy
other facilities, yet they too fail to produce desired results for lack of properly
trained teachers and their lack of concern regarding the lot of students. This
situation calls for correct analysis and action according to well thought out
and set priorities.
9. Duality: A uniform system of education can greatly promote unity, solidarity
and balance in society. To create a single, uniform system in the current
situation, where education is divided into more than a dozen systems in
Pakistan, is really a formidable task. For Pakistans geographic, political and
social integrity, change in the exam system making it uniform, meaningful
and result-oriented is the need of the hour. The current system of exams does
not help in true assessment of the ability and depth of learning of students.
It needs overhauling to alleviate dependence on foreign examination systems.
The prospects of betterment will increase if the young generation of the
ruling class and the rich too receive education through indigenously devised
syllabi and examinations.
10. Judicious use of Resources: Due to owing huge foreign loans, debts, a sick
economy, slow development, and political instability, Pakistan operates
under great nancial pressure. This directly affects its education sector.
Preferential allocation of funds for education is imperative, for which separate
budgets for education at the provincial levels and their presentation before
provincial assemblies is necessary, so that political leadership really knows
the issues involved in the task of the spread of education. Conditional foreign
educational loans should be refused, as so should all aid and assistance
packages that are put together abroad and reect foreign agendas. It should
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be realized that conditional foreign aid, which may have no relevance to facts
on the ground at home, becomes a source of corruption. In other words, it is
through better management, the realistic determination of priorities, careful
spending and an effective system to keep a watch on it that Pakistans
education scenario can present a far better picture.
Endnotes
* Salim Mansur Khalid is Assistant Professor, Government College, Township,
Lahore; Fayyaz Khan is Joint Director at Institute of Policy Studies, Islamabad.
1. Moeen-ud-Din Aqeel, Educational Background of Pakistan Movement, Lahore,
1992, 11.
2. N. N. Law, Promotion of learning in India During Muhammadan Rule by
Muhammadans, London, 1915, 117.
3. Abul Qasim Farishta (tr. John Briggs), History of the Rise of Mahomedans, vol. 1,
Calcutta, 1910, 4645, vide Moeen-ud-Din Aqeel, ibid., 1415.
4. Farishta, ibid., 16062.
5. Abedhanand, Sawami, India and Her People, Calcutta, 1940, 188.
6. Ishtiaq Husain Qureshi, Administration of the Mogul Empire, Karachi, 1996, 217.
7. William Sleeman, Rambles and Recollection of an Indian Ofcials, vol. 2, chapter
68, London, 1844, E-Book #15483, released on 27 March 2005, www.gutenberg.net.
8. Aqeel, ibid., 17.
9. Thomas Babington Macaulay, Minutes of 2 February 1835 on Indian Education.
Prose and Poetry, selected by G. M. Young, Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press, 1957.
10. Macaulay writes: I have no knowledge of either Sanskrit or Arabic. But I have
done what I could to form a correct estimate of their value. I have read translations of the
most celebrated Arabic and Sanskrit works. I have conversed both here and at home with
men distinguished by their prociency in the eastern tongues. I am quite ready to take the
Oriental learning at the valuation of the Orientalists themselves. I have never found one
among them who could deny that a single shelf of a good European library was worth the
whole native literature of India and Arabia. The intrinsic superiority of the Western literature
is, indeed, fully admitted by those members of the Committee who support the Oriental plan
of education. Macaulay, Prose and Poetry, selected by G. M. Young (Cambridge MA:
Harvard University Press, 1957).
11. Abul Ala Maududi, Lesson from the History, Lahore, 2003.
12. Only 20 of the 150 teachers of Punjab University, Pakistans biggest, stayed here
while the rest left for India. The situation of the Dhaka University was even worse, while
Sindh University was only in its formative phase. Ref. Hameed Ahmed Khan, Education and
Civilization, Lahore, 1975, 281. Similarly, Dr. Abdus Salam Khurshid alludes: during the
partition, a very few Muslim teachers were left in higher education institutions. In order to
address teachers shortage, relatively young and untrained Muslim teachers were inducted
everywhere, which resulted into deterioration of educations overall quality. Consequently,
graduates produced later on, by and large, could not develop their full potential and
abilities. See. Decadence of Higher Education in Pakistan, Karachi. 1969, 30.
13. Khurshid Ahmad, Ideology of Pakistan and Islamic Ideology, Karachi, 1969, 30.
14. Ibid., 80.
15. Muhammad Said, Hakim, Ideology and Philosophy of Islamic Education, Karachi,
1985; Abdur Rashid Arshad, Evolution of Education in Pakistan, Lahore, 1995.
16. See: Changing Minds Winning Peace: A New Strategic Direction for US Public
Diplomacy in Arab and Muslim World (ed: Edward Djerejian) Washington DC 2003. In the
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western world, there is a strong urge to change the curricula and education system
drastically. The 9/11 Commission Report. New York 2004.
Please see Appendix A for the chronology of all such efforts.
17. Please see Appendix A for the chronology of all such efforts.
18. In this regard, two parties emerge with their concern for problems and issues of
education in Pakistan: Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Peoples Party. JI prepared massive
literature, campaigned for general awareness, formed students and teachers organizations.
PPP took measures during its rst tenure in power (19711977), though there are reservations
can be expressed about them, as Zulkar Ali Bhutto intended to bring about revolutionary
changes in the system of education. But his daughter Benazir Bhutto did not show any of
his resolve and determination.
19. Tahir Amin, Ethno National Movements of Pakistan, Islamabad, 1988.
20. The English rulers, as per their dispatch in 1824, decided that in order to disrupt
locals relationship with their culture and history, they must be disconnected with their
conventional education. They used English and introduced European disciplines for this
purpose. This step proved to be far reaching in terms of its ramications and soon the
colonial rulers started reaping the fruits.
21. Muhammad Salah Uddin, Class War in Education. Karachi, 1986, 3.
22. In November 1947, the rst Education Conference declared Urdu as a mandatory
language for all schools but this declaration was never materialized. Hamid Ahmad Khan.
Education and Civilization, Lahore. 1975, 79.
23. Gazzettes of Pakistan Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education, and Gazzettes
of Universities BA/Bsc results, From 1981 to 2005, analyzed by Salim Mansoor Khalid.
24. Former Chairman National Language Authority, Dr. Waheed Qureshi, organized a
survey, which produced interesting results: a) the popular support among masses for opting
local languages as a medium of instruction was almost non-existent. The high ofcials who
were incapable of speaking and writing the local languages, strongly advocated in favor of
provincial languages. b) None of the sons and daughters of the ofcers of grade twenty and
above attend Urdu-Medium Schools. c) 90 percent people from all ethnicities insisted on the
declaration of Urdu as the medium of instruction. d) None of the members of Senate,
national assembly and provincial assemblies opposed Urdu and 95 percent of them stated
that Urdu should be Pakistans ofcial language yet they are not taking any concrete steps
for translating their words into deeds. Dr. Waheed Qureshi: Basic Debates on Education,
Islamabad, 1988, 183.
25. Renowned scholar and educationist Jamil Jalibi, Medium of Instruction and
National Education Policy, Islamabad 1994. 4.
26. Salim Mansur Khalid, Private Sector in Education, Islamabad, 1988, 183.
27. University Grants Commission of Pakistan: Draft Policy on Higher Education
19982010, Islamabad, 1998.
28. 28 Mujahid Kamran, Pakistan and Science Education: The Basic Crisis. Lahore, 1994, 6.
29. Ataur Rahman, Higher Education: Science and Technology in Pakistan, Lahore,
1999, 92.
30. Abdul Qadir Khan: Preface on Higher Education Science and Technology in
Pakistan, Lahore 1999, 19.
31. Momsen, Janet (1991) Women and Development in the Third World , Routledge:
London, 12.
32. Salim Mansur Khalid: Students Movements, 1,2 vol., Lahore, 1989.
33. Supreme Court Monthly Review (SCMR) 1993, 1781.
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Appendix A: A Chronology of Major Efforts for
Educational Reform
November 1947: All-Pakistan Education Conference in Karachi.
December 4, 1951: Approval of the First Six-Year Education Plan in Karachi.
September 9, 1949: Formulation of the Commercial Education Committee.
January 2, 1954: Report submitted by the Commercial Education Committee;
written by Mr. Zahid Hussain, the rst Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan;
this report highlighted major problems in clear terms.
May 26, 1955: The Lahore Education Board (LEB) recommended education
reforms up to higher secondary level.
1956: Planning for the rst Five-Year Plan.
March 30, 1957: LEBs recommendation approved.
January 3, 1957: The provincial government of East Pakistan formed
Education Commission for Education Sector Reforms (ESR).
July 1957: ESR Commission presented its report.
1959: Gen Ayub Khan set up a National Education Commission headed by Mr.
S. M. Sharif under the Martial Law regime.
December 1964: The government established Student Welfare Commission
1966: SWC submitted its rst report.
1969: Gen Yahya Khans martial law regime formed a committee that
presented far-reaching reform measures for the education system.
1972: President Zulkar Ali Bhutto convened a conference of teachers,
intellectuals and students for nalizing an education policy.
October 1977: Chief Martial Law Administrator, Gen Zia-ul-Haq, expressed his
resolve for the Islamization of the education system in the National Education
Conference.
1979: The interim government of Gen Zias Pakistan National Alliance (PNA)
formulated an education policy.
1983: The Martial Law regime prepared a Five-Year Education Action Plan.
19881995: The World Bank presented 13 reports for introducing basic
changes in Pakistans education system, especially for increasing the role of
the private sector and restricting the government sectors role.
19881995: The Asian Development Bank prepared 3 reports.
1989: The Pakistan Peoples Partys government organized a National
Education Conference.
1992: The Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs government presented 10-year
(19922002) Education Policy.
1998: The Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs government presented its Education
Policy.
1999: Introduced a fragmented education reforms policy proposing basic
changes in syllabi, fee structure and teacher-training etc.
2001: The reforms were reviewed on the basis of a report submitted by the
Higher Education Commission.
2001: The government empowered the Higher Education Commission for
further reforms in higher education.